Sons or Beggars (Part Three)

© 2025 Philip M Spence

In the first part of this blog, I spoke about the colonised mindset, where ministries believe that a spiritual father is responsible for supporting his sons. This is a cultural perspective in many nations, but not a Kingdom principle. In the Kingdom of God, mature sons support their spiritual father.

In the second part of this blog, I spoke about the grace to give beyond ourselves in supporting our spiritual fathers. This comes from firstly giving ourselves fully to the Lord, and then to our fathers. This caused the Philippian church to shift from begging for money from their spiritual father to the mindset of a son: begging to sow money in support of him.

To shift from a beggar mindset to that of a son is all about the heart. A beggar has a heart for himself and his well-being. A beggar is self-focused and has a survival mentality. A beggar’s heart is not firstly toward his Heavenly Father or his spiritual father.

A son’s heart is fully toward his Heavenly Father and his spiritual father. This is not natural because we all have a powerful sense of self-preservation which tends to make us a taker rather than a giver. However, sons are those who shift from the natural to the spiritual.

The question that needs to be answered is: What shifts us from the heart and mindset of a beggar to the heart and mindset of a son?

Jesus answered that question when he taught that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Many people do not understand this because they believe that they should give their treasure in line with what their heart is telling them. This is the opposite of how the Kingdom functions, according to our King. In the Kingdom of God, our giving directs the focus of our hearts and is the key to the giving of our hearts fully to our Heavenly Father and our spiritual fathers.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:32-34

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Greek word used by both Matthew and Luke which is translated ‘treasure’ means ‘a deposit’. It comes from a word meaning ‘to place’. Jesus taught His followers about where to place their deposits. He was clearly saying that we have different account options. He was very clear about the options because where we place our deposits directs the focus of our hearts and determines the state of our hearts.

Jesus said that there are two choices for our deposits: heaven or earth. He used this imagery to describe the eternal and the temporal dimensions, the spiritual and soulish realms, and the things of God versus the things of man. Jesus said that we can place our deposits in eternal things or temporal things. To sow into our spiritual fathers is to invest in heaven, or eternal realities.

Jesus said that it is the Father’s pleasure to give us the Kingdom. He will only release the fullness of the Kingdom to those who invest in it, and function according to its principles. Sons seek to know, understand, and function in eternal realities according to Kingdom principles.

One of the keys to receiving the fullness of the Kingdom is giving to our Heavenly Father and our spiritual fathers. Sons walk in grace and authority because they invest themselves and their substance into their Heavenly Father and their spiritual fathers.

Beggars walk in religion while sons walk in the power of the Kingdom. Beggars sow into the temporal, while sons sow into eternal realities. Beggars are in survival mode while sons overcome. Beggars operate in the flesh, but sons are led by the Spirit of God. Beggars are limited by their own capacity, but sons are upscaled by the supernatural nature of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven is a supernatural realm which we learn to live in through steadfast operation of Kingdom principles. The exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) is our environment if we function according to the principles of the Kingdom.

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Phil Spence is an author, speaker, mentor and musician. He leads Enlarj, a relational apostolic network influencing more than 20 nations. He oversees School of the Kingdom Global in many of these nations. Phil is internationally recognised as an apostle. Phil may be contacted via phil@enlarj.com